Just a quick note

Anthracite
30"x30"
Acrylic on canvas


Good news, I just got a postcard from True Art gallery for their next show, and the owner, Joanie, wrote a quick note telling me that another one of my paintings sold. I am so pleased and coincider this show a great success. Its all been very exciting. I will be visiting my daughter at college this weekend, but plan on being back in the studio on Monday.

Carpe Diem!

The LeHigh
30x30, acrylic on canvas


Things are rolling along rather smoothly, I sold another painting from the show and have two more shows to do in January. The shows are group shows so I will only be putting a few pieces into each show, but hey, its a show, and the pressure is not so intense. I rather enjoy doing large, group shows, it gives me a chance to get to know other artists in the area and to reconnect with friends that I may not have seen in a while.

I am excited to start painting again. I have not set foot into the studio since the opening on Sept. 9th. I retreat after an opening and try to reflect/enjoy what is happening. This time gives me space to analyze the work that I have done and helps to set me onto my next path. So, today will be clean up day in the studio. I would post a picture of the studio,but to tell you the honest truth, its just a wreck and I would be mortified. The last week before the show opened I started teaching and my children went back to school. Life was one, big whirlwind and my studio looks like it. But no more!! (sponges and mops in hand) today I take back my studio and start anew.

The painting posted is a piece that sold from my current show.

Mary, welcome to my world

I've been telling my friend, Mary Weimer Green, how great it has been to blog, no you don't get instant, international fame or have a meteoric rise to the level of artistic genius, but I have met some great artists that have given me insight and inspiration, and posting my paintings has allowed many friends, relatives, strangers, art stalkers, perspective buyers, bored computer geeks (yes, I sometimes fall into this catagory also), to view my work from all over the world. Also, not to mention, the thousands of dollars I am saving on advertising, marketing and therapists.

So, Mary, welcome to my world. Visit her blog, Mary Weimer Green - impressions from the matrix, view her work (which is great), and read her witty repartee.

The Opening

Everything went GREAT last night for the opening at True Art Gallery. The owners, Joanie and Jim, did an incredible job hanging the work, in fact, when I walked in the gallery I was so excited at how the artwork looked that I wasn't watching where I was going and tripped, almost falling on my face, talk about making an entrance (thank God it was before the show opened so the embarassment was kept to a minimum). The evening was phenomenal. There was a nice size crowd, good food and I sold three paintings!!!!



One of the paintings that sold was a piece that consists of 5 small 5"x7" canvases. I usually don't work small, but this summer I found these canvases for $1.oo a piece, I figured I would play around with them in the studio and see what happens. I ended up with 3 pieces for the show. I dropped off all my work on Tuesday and explained how I would like small canvases displayed, well Jim had taken the paintings and put them on a beautiful wood backing, you can see one of them hanging on the back wall in the photo. I was thrilled with how nice they looked.

Mary's work was wonderful. I love the new new direction she is going in with her latest pieces, I can't wait to see more. We had such a good night, Ahhhh all that work and anxiety really paid off.

The countdown begins 3, 2, 1 ...........

I am in the process of putting the final touches on my paintings, varnishing, framing .... I have 2 paintings that I am not 100% happy with, so I will probably be doing some reworking over the weekend, I think. I hesitate to start because the paintings are not bad, I'm 90% satisfied, and whenever I rework one area of a painting I tend to rework the entire painting, also I tend to overpaint in these situations. My fear is that I will really mess it up and run out of time and not have the paintings ready for the show. I have to deliver them on Tuesday. So, I have been "living" with these paintings in my living room hoping that I can look at them long enough to find out EXACTLY what they need, also in hopes of saving myself from endless hours of doing and redoing and redoing and redoing.

I will also be photographing the paintings this weekend, in between going to the Great Geauga County Fair, getting everything ready for school, and trying to instill some obedience into the newest member of our family, Jasper (named after Jasper Johns, one of my favorite artists).He is a dalmation/hound mix that we got from the pound. He is housebroken (thank God!!) and can play a mean game of fetch, but he has chewed up 2 stuffed animals and both of his leashes and he thinks that my white couch is his personal resting area. I know he will be a great addition to the family, but we have some work to do.